East Germans Fortify Border - A black and white photo of a city street
November 1961. East Germans fortify the border at the Brandenburg Gate, expanding the concrete wall and adding a barbed-wire fence. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Anti-Tank Fortifications
Nov. 20, 1961. With armed guards looking on, East German workers set up anti-tank fortifications on the eastern side of the Berlin Wall after the confrontation between U.S. and Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charli... More
East German Guard - A black and white photo of a man jumping over a ba...
Late August 1961. An East German guard jumps to freedom in West Berlin. From the booklet, "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, visit the CIA's Historical Collections page (w... More
British Military Police
Late August 1961. British military police officers look across the border into East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Vice President Johnson in West Berlin
Aug. 20, 1961. Accompanied by a young refugee from East Germany, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson greets the crowds at the Marienfelde Refugee Camp during his visit to West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Tor... More
U.S. Convoy Crosses into West Berlin
Oct. 26, 1961. East German police officers allow the U.S. convoy to cross the border into West Berlin unchallenged. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Reconnaissance Car
Late August 1961. An East German reconnaissance car guards the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Brandenburg Gate - A black and white photo of a street sign
Late August 1961. East German soldiers and police officers block the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Children in East and West Berlin
October 1961. Children keep their friendship across the barbed wire border between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A group of men standing next to a wall with a bike
October 1961. West Berliners watch as East Germans prepare the “death strip,” a stretch of land along the eastern side of the Berlin Wall that was cleared to give guards an unobstructed view of anyone seeking t... More
West Berliners - A group of people standing on top of a ladder
Sept. 16, 1961. West Berliners wave to friends and family across the Berlin Wall. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
An East German Mother - A couple of people standing next to a barbed w...
Late August 1961. An East German mother, who just passed her son to her husband in West Berlin, cries as she looks across the border at her husband and son in West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: ... More
East German Tanks - A black and white photo of people and tanks
Aug. 13, 1961. East German tanks stretch out along the Warschauer Bridge in Berlin to stem the flow of refugees to the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Refugees at the Marienfelde Refugee Camp
Refugees from Berlin’s East Zone wait to be processed at the Marienfelde Refugee Camp in West Berlin in July 1961. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldier - A soldier standing next to a pole with barbed wi...
Late August 1961. An East German soldier stands guard on the border with West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Brandenburg Gate - A black and white photo of a crowd of people
Aug. 14, 1961. West Berliners gather to watch East German soldiers and militiamen construct road blocks and a barbed wire fence at the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A black and white photo of a man standing next to a f...
Nov. 30, 1961. As the holiday season approaches, West Berliners try to stay in contact with friends in East Berlin by waving to them across the border. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Soviet Tanks near Checkpoint Charlie
Oct. 27, 1961. Soviet tanks gather near Checkpoint Charlie where they engage in a tense face-off with U.S. tanks positioned on the western side. From "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Police - A couple of people that are standing in the stree...
October 1961. East German police officers guarding the border zone, as seen through a hole in the Berlin Wall at the intersection of Zimmerstrasse and Markgrafenstrasse. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Bui... More
East German Soldiers - A group of men standing next to each other
Early September 1961. East German soldiers turn away a couple trying to cross the border into West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
U. S. Tanks at Checkpoint Charlie
Oct. 27, 1961. On the western side of the border at Checkpoint Charlie, U. S. tanks stand guard as the face-off with the Soviets continues into the night. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Be... More
Checkpoint Charlie - A group of men standing next to a tank
Oct. 25, 1961. U. S. tanks move up to Checkpoint Charlie following a dispute with East Germany over American access to East Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie was the name given by the Western Allies to the best-known ... More
East German Police - A black and white photo of a group of police offi...
Sept. 24, 1961. As residents of Bernauer Strasse are forcibly evacuated from their homes, the East German police use mirrors to blind reporters and photographers in the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart... More
West Berlin Demonstration
Aug. 16, 1961. An estimated 250,000 people turn out in West Berlin to denounce the sealing off of the East Zone and to hear West Berlin Mayor Willi Brandt compare the move to Adolf Hitler's occupation of the Rh... More
U. S. Military Police Escort U. S. Diplomats
Oct. 26, 1961. Members of the U. S. Military Police escort U. S. diplomats through barriers as they cross into East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
U.S. Military Police - A black and white photo of a city street
Oct. 26, 1961. U.S. Military Police jeeps move in to help U. S. diplomats who were stopped at the border while returning from East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Propaganda Sign in East Berlin
Sept.15, 1961. A propaganda sign in East Berlin proclaims: “Building our socialism goes on.” From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldiers - A black and white photo of a group of soldiers
Late August 1961. Two East German soldiers dig holes for a new barbed wire fence near Potsdamer Platz. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Armed Border Guards - A black and white photo of two men sitting on a ...
Aug. 13, 1961. After the Soviets announced the decree that closed off access to West Berlin, Berliners awoke to armed border guards. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
President Kennedy Meets with Khrushchev
President John F. Kennedy (left) meets with Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (center), on June 4, 1961, prior to formal talks at the Vienna Summit, which were charac... More
Children in East Berlin
Children play in the Soviet-controlled section of Berlin circa 1958. The signs in the background include slogans promoting socialism and an East German youth group called Berlin Pioneers. From the booklet "A ... More
Soviet Tanks Leave Checkpoint Charlie
Oct. 28, 1961. Soviet tanks move out after a show of strength as the standoff at Checkpoint Charlie comes to an end. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Masons - A black and white photo of two men on a wall
Oct. 13, 1961. East German masons work to heighten the wall between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A black and white photo of a group of people
Early September 1961. Two West Berliners show their babies to family members on the other side of the Berlin Wall. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A group of people standing next to each other
October 1961. West Berliners look over the border at loved ones left behind in East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldiers - A black and white photo of a group of men and d...
October 1961. East German soldiers use guard dogs to track down individuals attempting to escape to West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A black and white photo of a group of people
Aug. 13, 1961. Booing, shouting and fist-shaking West Berliners demonstrate against the pre-dawn closing of the border between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Friedrichstrasse Crossing Point
Dec. 4, 1961. American soldiers watch as construction workers, heavily guarded by East German security forces, build a massive stone barricade at the Friedrichstrasse crossing point in East Berlin. From the boo... More
East German Guard Workmen
November 1961. In full battle dress, East German troops guard workmen behind the screen who are reinforcing the Berlin Wall. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Berliners - A couple of people standing next to a barbed wire fen...
October 1961. West Berliners wave to friends across the border, casting shadows on the wall that divides them. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Brandenburg Gate - A black and white photo of an old building
Late August 1961. Military water trucks with high-pressure hoses line up along the border near the Brandenburg Gate, ready to douse anyone from the western side who comes too close. From the booklet "A City Tor... More
Brandenburg Gate - A black and white photo of a crowd of people
Aug. 13, 1961. West Berliners crowd in front of the now-closed Brandenburg Gate, once a major crossing point between the two Berlins. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Nikita Khrushchev in East Berlin
August 1957. Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, speaks to workers in East Berlin about Soviet-German brotherhood. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the... More
U. S. Army Helicopter - A black and white photo of a military helicopt...
October 1961. A U. S. Army helicopter makes a daily survey of the East German labor battalions along the border between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Removing Furniture in East Berlin
Early September 1961. Trucks line up for the removal of furniture from houses that are scheduled for demolition near the border at Bernauer Strasse in East Berlin, part of the effort to provide East German bord... More
A Family Separated - A couple of people shaking hands on a city street
Late August 1961. With a goodbye bouquet and clinging hands, a family separated by the border says farewell. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Police - A group of men standing on the side of a street
Late August 1961. An East Berliner is seized by the East German police as he attempts to escape to the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
U. S. Tank - A group of people standing around a tank
Late August 1961. West Berliners look on as a U. S. tank guards the Freidrichstrasse border crossing. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Checkpoint Charlie - A black and white photo of people walking down a ...
Dec. 4, 1961. Under the eye of East German soldiers and police officers, construction workers install a tank barrier on the eastern side of Checkpoint Charlie. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of ... More
East German Loudspeakers
Oct. 25, 1961. Loudspeakers project propaganda across the wall into West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German House Demolition
October 1961. Workers demolish East German houses in the new border area between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldiers - A black and white photo of a group of men
Late August 1961. East German soldiers carry a post for the barbed wire fence being erected along the East and West Berlin boarder. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
West Germans Demonstrating
Aug. 16, 1961. A bird's eye view of West Germans protesting the division of Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Prinzen-Heinrich Heine-Strasse Border Crossing
Dec. 5, 1961. A truck squeezes through the expanded barricades at the Prinzen-Heinrich Heine-Strasse border crossing. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Police Tear Up Train Tracks
December 1961.The East German police tear up train tracks leading to West Berlin after 25 people escaped across the border. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldier at Lindenstrasse
Nov. 20, 1961. An East German soldier guards the border at Lindenstrasse as workers install trenches, rails and a new concrete wall that will run from the Brandenburg Gate to Friedrich Strasse. From the booklet... More
Soviet Tanks near Checkpoint Charlie
Oct. 28, 1961. Soviet tanks near Checkpoint Charlie sit about 500 feet from the border with West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Prinzenstrasse in East Berlin
Oct. 14, 1961. A sign on a building on Prinzenstrasse in East Berlin reads, "Defending the DDR is Defending Peace," a reference to the abbreviation for the German Democratic Republic or East Germany. From the b... More
East German House Demolition
October 1961. East German workers tear down a house on the border with West Berlin, removing cover for those trying to escape to the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East Berlin Border - A man standing behind a barbed wire fence
Late August 1961. A worker spreads chemicals to kill weeds and to provide a clear line of fire for the East German guards watching the border for anyone seeking to escape to West Berlin. From the booklet "A Cit... More
West Berlin Police - A black and white photo of a crowd of people
Aug. 14, 1961. Angry, jeering West Berliners are moved back from the border by West Berlin police. The Soviet War Memorial stands in the background. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East Germans Sign - A group of men standing next to a sign
Dec. 8, 1961. East Germans install a sign urging the West to work for peace and understanding and to accept a Soviet peace proposal for addressing the division of Germany. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: B... More
East Germany Border Defenses
Nov. 20, 1961. East Germany strengthens its border defenses by building two rows of tank barriers at Potsdamer Platz in East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East Berlin - A black and white photo of a man behind a fence
Oct. 10, 1961. Pedestrians in East Berlin glance at East German soldiers near the corner of Heidelbergerstrasse and Elsenstrasse. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Guards - A group of people standing next to a train
October 1961. East German guards put up panels along the border to shield their activities from West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Police - A black and white photo of a group of men
September 1961. East German police hand a banner reading, "Down with West German Militarism! Give us a peace treaty!" From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, vi... More
West Berliners - A couple of men standing next to a wall with a dog
Sept. 3, 1961. A West Berliner peeps through a hole into East Germany. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Tanks - A black and white photo of a row of tanks
Aug. 28, 1961. East German tanks assemble in front of the Friedrichstrasse train station with their guns pointed west. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Girl - A little girl standing in front of a crowd of peopl...
July 1961. A 3-year-old East German girl waits in the rain as her parents line up to register at a refugee center in West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Christmas Tree in West Berlin
Dec. 24, 1961. The holiday season offers stark symbols of a divided city, with a Christmas tree in the West standing opposite a watch tower in the East. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Propaganda - A black and white photo of a group of men
Nov. 20, 1961. A sign in East Berlin declares, “Whoever attacks us will be destroyed,” an example of the East German propaganda posted along the border to intimidate the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apar... More
West Berliner - A black and white photo of a man fishing with a dog
Sept. 13, 1961. A West Berliner on the banks of Landwehr Canal looks across a double barbed-wire fence into East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
First Battle Group, 18th Army, U. S. Infantry
Aug. 20, 1961. West Berliners welcome the arrival of American reinforcements from the First Battle Group, 18th Army, U. S. Infantry. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Soldier - A black and white photo of a military vehicle
Late August 1961. An East German soldier mans a machine gun at the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, visit the CIA's Historical Collect... More
West Berlin - A black and white photo of people walking down a street
A typical street in West Berlin circa 1958, with modern buildings and stores that are well-stocked with consumer goods. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, ... More
East Berliners - A group of people standing around a tank
Oct. 28, 1961. Curious East Berliners look on as Soviet tanks pull out after the 17-hour standoff at Checkpoint Charlie. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
American Soldier at Checkpoint Charlie
Oct. 28, 1961. An American soldier monitors the movements of Soviet tanks during the confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
U.S. Military Police Escort U.S. Diplomats
Oct. 26, 1961. U.S. Military Police jeeps prepare an escort for U.S. diplomats trying to return from East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Vice President Johnson in West Berlin
Aug. 19, 1961. Just days after the Berlin border closed, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson flies to West Berlin to signal American support for the city. An honor guard of West German and U. S. troops welcomes hi... More
East German Police - A black and white photo of a group of people
Aug. 14, 1961. Heavily armed East German police use bayonets to push back the crowds seeking to cross into West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Brandenburg Gate - A group of men standing in front of a building
Circa 1958. Soviet soldiers stand before Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate, with its newly restored Quadriga statue on top. The statue was returned to the gate in June 1958, replacing the Soviet flag that flew... More
East Germans Build New Wall
Nov. 20, 1961. East Germans build a new wall designed to protect the Brandenburg Gate from a Western attack. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Klemkestrasse - A black and white photo of a train on a track
Oct. 20, 1961. Single family houses being demolished at Klemkestrasse on the eastern side of the border between East and West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Leipziger Strasse - A black and white photo of a building with tanks o...
Late August 1961. At the Leipziger Strasse thoroughfare near the border with West Berlin, East German tanks line up to head off possible trouble from East Berliners. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Buildin... More
British Patrol Car and East German Armored Vehicle
Late August 1961. A British patrol car passes an East German armored vehicle on a street straddling West and East Berlin. The border runs between the two vehicles. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building... More
East German Roadblocks - A black and white photo of a group of soldier...
Late August 1961. The East German Army sets up roadblocks at the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall." For more information, visit the CIA's Historical Collections... More
East Berlin Workers' Militia
Late August 1961. Members of the East Berlin Workers' Militia block the Brandenburg Gate while an armored car provides back up. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Christmas Eve 1961 - A black and white photo of a group of people
On Christmas Eve 1961, West Berliners wave to loved ones on the eastern side of the Berlin Wall. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Construction Workers
Oct. 13, 1961. East German construction workers raise the height of the Berlin Wall to further obstruct views from the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Girl - A black and white photo of a man in a fenced in are...
October 1961. A little girl in East Germany looks through the wire at friends in the Western enclave of Steinstücken. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Michael Finder and Willy Finder
Oct. 7, 1961. Four-year-old Michael Finder of East Germany is tossed by his father into a net held by residents across the border in West Berlin. The father, Willy Finder, then prepares to make the jump himself... More
A Mother in East Berlin
Late August 1961. With the East German police looking the other way, a mother in East Berlin hands her young son across the border to his father. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
Friedrich Strasse-Zimmer Strasse Intersection
Aug. 24, 1961. A U. S. tank and an armored personnel carrier are parked at the Friedrichstrasse-Zimmerstrasse intersection, which is bisected by the East and West Berlin border. From the booklet "A City Torn Ap... More
U. S. Tank - A black and white photo of a tank on a street
Aug. 23, 1961. A U. S. tank stationed in the Prinzen Platz, West Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
First Battle Group, 18th Army, U. S. Infantry
Aug. 20, 1961. American reinforcements, drawn from the First Battle Group, 18th Army, U. S. Infantry, arrive in West Berlin during Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's visit. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: ... More
East German Armored Cars
Late August 1961. East German armored cars line up behind the war-scarred column of the Brandenburg Gate. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Police Officer
Nov. 18, 1961. An East German police officer patrols the border near Kreuzbergstrasse. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East German Reinforcements
Oct. 26, 1961. In a belated show of strength, an East German personnel carrier brings reinforcements to the border, where they line up across Friedrichstrasse facing East Berlin. From the booklet "A City Torn A... More
East German Police - A black and white photo of a man with a gun
October 1961. An East German police officer prepares to throw a tear-gas grenade, as West Berliners jeer in the background. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."
East Germany - A black and white photo of a man and a woman in front o...
Sept. 24, 1961. East Germany mandates the destruction of houses along the border at Klauke-Strasse to eliminate cover for refugees crossing to the West. From the booklet "A City Torn Apart: Building of the Berlin Wall."